LISBON AIRPORT | GUIDE TO LISBON AIRPORT (LIS)

Lisbon hosts the largest airport in Portugal, handling over 29 million passengers per annum. The airport is a main air hub for airline companies such as TAP Portugal, Portugália, SATA International, White Airways, and more recently, Easyjet. Located just 7 km, or 4.3 miles from the largest city of the country, Lisboa, Lisbon Airport is in an urban area, and is a very important gateway to and from all nearby regions. It is also commonly referred to as the Portela, due to its close proximity to the area of Portela, and has the official IATA code of LIS. The ICAO code is listed as LLPT. In Portuguese, it is known as the Aeroporto de Lisboa, or Aeroporto da Portela.

The public airport of Lisbon is located between Loures and Lisboa, nearby, and approximately halfway up the western coastline of Portugal. Other areas nearby include Oeiras to the south-west, Cascais further south-west on the coast, Sintra and Amadora to the west and Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira to the north. The city of Lisbon lies alongside the Tagus River, and a major motorway, known as the Abril Bridge crosses over to the city from southern areas such as Almada and Seixal. Another long bridge further east is the Ponte Vasco da Gama road, or the A12, running from Montijo and Alcochete. The airport’s main access road is the A1, which runs directly past the facilities. Particularly nearby are the areas of Musgueira, Campo Grande, Olival Basto and Lumiar. Passengers with a satellite navigation system can use the coordinates of 38°46′27″N 09°08′03″W to easily locate the airport.

TAP Portugal (Trasportes Aéreos Portugueses) is the airline company which holds the majority of destinations at Lisbon Airport, and is also a member of the Star Alliance airline group. This carrier covers an extensive network of flights throughout Europe, with destinations which include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London-Heathrow and London-Gatwick, Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino, Paris-Orly and Zurich. Some further destinations also include Johannesburg in South Africa, and Miami in the United States of America. White Airways travels to many Spanish destinations, such as Gran Canaria, Palma de Mallorca, Arrecife and Tenerife South, while Easyjet offers flights to Lyon, Madrid, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Toulouse and London-Luton, as well as seasonal flights to Edinburgh and Liverpool. Easyjet announced in October 2010, that Lisbon will be a new base for their operations. Other important airline companies at the airport include KLM, British Airways, Continental Airlines, Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines.

Air Transat is another airline company which has recently shown a great deal of interest in Lisbon Airport, and from the summer of 2011, will operate three flights per week to Toronto, and a weekly flight to Montreal. Air Transat is a member of Transat A.T. Inc. and is the leading vacation carrier in Canada, with over 2.5 million passengers to around 90 destinations per annum. In terms of cargo, Lisbon is a vitally important gateway for the country, transporting over 90,000 tonnes per year. The cargo carriers include FedEx Express, DHL Aviation, Swiftair and TAP Cargo.

Lisbon Airport was opened during the Second World War, and is famous for being used as a hub for smuggling people into and out of Europe, even though the country of Portugal was neutral. It also plays a similar role in the popular movie classic ‘Casablanca’. After the war, the airport saw instant success in the commercial industry, and was graced by the presence of many major airline companies. In 1954, it already had 100,000 passengers. By 1962 the airport had a new runway, allowing for transatlantic flights, and further improvements up until 1991 included larger aircraft parking bays, enlargement of the passenger terminal and air bridges.

Lisbon has received a second terminal, completed in 2007 to help with the increase in traffic, and the main terminal was expanded, with new boarding gates, new airbridges and new parking positions. Terminal 1, the main building, is used for all international flights, while Terminal 2 is used for scheduled domestic flights. Terminal 2 may however be a low-cost airline terminal used exclusively by Easyjet. Facilities on site include banking and currency exchange services, meeting and conference room options, a number of VIP lounges, healthcare services, a baggage storage office, information and customer service desks and various facilities for parents of young children, such as baby changing stations and children’s play areas. A large number of retail outlets and restaurants are available as well, and all areas of the airport are accessible for disabled passengers.

Arriving passengers have a wide range of car rental companies available at Lisbon airport, as well as the usual array of airport transfer options.

Lisbon Airport is owned by the Government of Portugal, but managed by ANA (Aeroportos de Portugal, SA), and is well equipped for the needs of all its passengers. More information can also be found online, or from the help desks within the terminal buildings.

Arrivals, Departures and Airlines at Lisbon Airport

• See live flight arrivals information at Lisbon Airport
• See live flight departures information at Lisbon Airport

Hotels near Lisbon Airport

There are a number of hotels to suit all budgets and requirements at or near Lisbon Airport.

Parking at Lisbon Airport

See options for parking services at Lisbon Airport.

Additional Services and Amenities at Lisbon Airport

At Lisbon Airport you will find the usual array of bars and restaurants, airport lounges and shops.

• See all bars and restaurants inside Lisbon Airport
• See and book airport lounges at Lisbon Airport
• Plan your shopping in advance - see all the shops (including duty-free) at Lisbon Airport

Things to do in Lisbon

There are a number of activities to suit all ages and interests in the region - see a selection of tourist activities in Lisbon, Portugal.